


Baby Faced

by IrenkaFeralKitty



Series: Rogue Squadron Shorts [9]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: X-Wing Series - Aaron Allston & Michael Stackpole, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Gen, Kell's father is mentioned, The Rebellion was fought by teenagers, Wraith Squadron - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-04
Updated: 2019-03-04
Packaged: 2019-11-09 04:17:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17994689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IrenkaFeralKitty/pseuds/IrenkaFeralKitty
Summary: “By all the Gods,” Dia cackled as she looked at the next exhibit, “Janson’s a baby in this one!”





	Baby Faced

“By all the Gods,” Dia cackled as she looked at the next exhibit, “Janson’s a baby in this one!”

“What?” Confused, Face left behind the case with a Clone Wars era flightsuit and gear and hurriedly joined her in the next room, which was dedicated to the renowned Rogue Squadron. 

Dia was standing in front of one of the first holo displays. The narration started over when Face stepped up, detailing the founding of Rogue Squadron as Rogue Flight, one half of a larger unit formed in the days following the Battle of Yavin IV. It was easy to spot Luke Skywalker and Wedge Antilles in the holo. Hobbie Klivian also hadn’t changed much. Janson, however, didn’t immediately catch his eye. 

Face let out a sudden whistle as Tyria and Kell joined them. “Damn,” he breathed when he realized that the pilot at the very front of the group, noticeably shorter than all the others and look all of sixteen or seventeen years old at most, was Wes Janson. “I knew he was still growing when he became a pilot for the Rebellion but I didn’t realize just what that meant.”

“He doesn’t look nineteen,” Tyria said, sound equally surprised. “He looks like he should be home at school, not fighting in a war.”

Casting a quick glance around, Dia brought up her datapad and activated the camera, snapping a quick image of the holo. “This will be fun to use later,” she said, then moved on. 

Tyria caught Face’s eye, tilting her head towards Kell before heading after Dia. 

The tall demolitions expert wore a pinched expression when he looked at the holo and the man who’d killed his father. Biting the inside of his mouth for a moment, Face let his attention rest on the holo before he spoke. 

“I’ve always known Janson was young when he joined up,” he said in as neutral a voice as he could manage. “Military life is more deeply ingrained in him than any of the other veteran Rogue pilots, which made me think he still had a lot of growing to do when he signed on. I’ll admit, though, that even I’m surprised by this.”

Kell didn’t speak right away. Finally, though, he found his words. “Every time something like this comes up, it feels like the galaxy wants me to feel guilty for ever being upset about what happened to my father.”

_ Ouch.  _ “I think that, if anything, it’s a request to remember how desperate things were back then. Your father shouldn’t have been in that battle. Janson shouldn’t have been anywhere near a snubfighter. None of it should have happened.”

Kell nodded slowly, still looking pained. “I’m surprised neither Janson or Wedge ever showed us this holo. They told us a lot of stories about the early days of the Rogues when training us, after all.”

Another group of museum goers appeared. Grabbing Kell’s arm, Face pulled him along after their girlfriends. 

“Well, Janson, at least, was working hard to avoid provoking you and I could see him thinking that showing you visuals from that era emphasizing that he was alive and your father dead would lead to trouble.”

“What do you mean he was trying not to provoke me?” Kell asked. He looked confused. Surely he’d realized-

Of course he hadn’t.

Tyria and Dia looked up as they joined them.

“Kell, Janson was terrified of you for months,” Face explained. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tyria wince, then nod.

The data clearly wasn’t sinking in well. Kell stared at Face and Tyria in bewilderment. 

“He killed your father, Kell, and you have almost half a meter and thirty kilos on him,” Face said. 

“And your specialty is bombs,” Dia added. “Think about that. How would that get resolved in a holo?”

Looking shocked, Kell shook his head. “No, I was the one afraid of him. I’d would never have been willing to… you know. I was sure he was just waiting for an excuse to kick me out.”

“He didn’t try to keep us from knowing where he slept because he was our trainer. He did so because on some level  he was worried you’d sneak a bomb in there so you could avenge your father,” Face said.

Seeing the shock on Kell’s face, Tyria laid a hand on his arm. “He believed in you, though, and saw through his own fears enough to believe you deserved to be a Wraith. What you should focus on is the final outcome. You both came to respect each other and serve together for the good of the New Republic.”

“It is hard not to be a bit sad about the missed opportunities, though,” Face said somewhat wistfully as they began to walk again. “If you’d ever crept up on him and shouted  _ Boo _ … Well, you would have gotten shot, but he probably would have let out an amusing scream at the same time.”

“Why do so many of your prank ideas end in me getting shot?” Kell complained.

“You’re just so good at surviving them,” he said in reply.

“I want him intact,” Tyria said. “Find another play toy.”

“Your wish, my lady, is my command.”

Face kept a close eye on Kell as they moved through the exhibit. He was still out of sorts and disturbed by the holo, but thankfully, he and Janson had already reached an accord concerning the past. Otherwise, Kell would have been even more upset. 

Still, it was likely the two men would need to have another conversation to fully laid the matter to rest. It was something to think about.


End file.
